Clippers notes: Darren Collison becomes the latest player to be sidelined

Another day, another ailment for the Clippers, who simply shrugged and moved on after it was announced that Darren Collison would miss Sunday’s game against Cleveland due to a stomach virus.

Collison was replacing Jamal Crawford, who is out with a calf strain. Crawford was replacing J.J. Redick, who is out with a bulging disc in his lower back.

In other words, the Clippers’ four days off after Monday night’s game in Denver are coming at just the right time, right?

Actually, Coach Doc Rivers said, the break might not mean a thing for the injured players.

“I don’t think it will be because one of them or both of them may not be ready,” Rivers said of Crawford and Redick. “I don’t think that matters that we have practice or anything for them, it’s more about getting them healthy. If they’re healthy and they could practice one or two (times), that would be a great stretch, but if they’re not, it doesn’t mean much.”

Redick is getting closer to returning and worked out on the court before the game. With Crawford, who tried to make a comeback last weekend, the Clippers are being cautious. His status of “day-to-day” stays the same from day to day.

“Jamal has one of those nasty little calf injuries that you feel like he’s getting better, but you can’t take that risk,” Rivers said. “If he goes down again with that, we may not see him (again). That’s a hard risk to take with him so we’ve got to be right this time.”

Instead, the break figures to benefit the players who need it most, like Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul.

“Yeah, that’s what the break’s good for, is Chris and Blake and DJ, even though DJ swears he wants to play 48 a night,” Rivers said. “That’s good for them. I also think the new guys (Danny Granger and Glen Davis), it gives them a chance to take a breath and get situated with their life off the floor. They’ve been thrown in and just playing games.

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“For me, maybe I can go and improve my golf game for a couple days since I’m so bad at it.”

Handling his role

The improvement of Blake Griffin is one of the biggest keys to the Clippers this season, and perhaps the most overlooked of his skills has been ballhandling, whether it’s in the halfcourt game or storming down the court on a break.

“I think clearly he’s running the floor better and he’s handling the ball more, so he’s improved,” Rivers said. “Just his overall confidence in his game. His shot, his ability to face the basket instead of always just trying to play physical with the bigs, turn your back to a bigger, stronger guy.

“And he’s still going to keep getting better. I don’t think he’s where he wants to be yet at all.”

Rivers has put the ball in Griffin’s hands more, hoping the primary beneficiary will be Paul.

“I just think he’s good at it and he takes some pressure off of Chris,” Rivers said. “You don’t want Chris handling the ball every possession, all game. I don’t know how you’d physically go through a game, a year and definitely the playoffs like that. I think it’s important there is more than one facilitator on your team.”

Does Griffin’s improvement rate have a ceiling?

“I don’t know if there is. I’m sure there is, but I don’t know what it is, and I don’t want to be the guy to tell him there is,” Rivers said. “If you’re always in pursuit of getting better, you’ll find your ceiling at some point. He’s too young to even be thinking about it.”